Parking device

ABSTRACT

A device for use in a parking stall to retain a parked car therein until released by payment of a meter parking fee. Simple rotary or pivot mounted stops are mechanically actuated by an automobile engaging same upon entering a parking stall to lock the steps in position to block further wheel passage until released as by a coin operated timer.

1 [72] inventor:

United States Patent Salloum [54] PARKING DEVICE Charles R. Salloum, 120 Ellis Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94120 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1970 [211 App]. No.: 67,429

Related [15. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. Nos. 720,952, Apr. 12, 1968, Pat. No. 3,613,909, and Ser. No. 24,699, Apr. 11, 1970.

[52] US. Cl. ..49/35, 49/49 [5 l] Int. Cl. ..E0ll' 13/00 [58] Field oISearch..... ....49/29,35,49, 131, 132,134,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,805,498 9/1957 Masher r al. "49/35 x 1 June 6,1972

2,229,183 1/ 1941 Mitchell n49/35 X 2,588,502 3/1952 Dunn ..49/35 2,883,780 4/1959 Goodman .....49/35 2,913,906 1 1/1959 Sinclair 49/29 X 3,083,483 4/ 1963 Beuhier ..49/132 Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor Attorney-Gregg, Hendricson 8: Caplan [57] ABSTRACT A device for use in a parking stall to retain a parked car therein until released by payment of a meter parking fee. Simple rotary or pivot mounted stops are meehanically actuated by an automobile engaging same upon entering a parking stall to lock the steps in position to block further wheel passage until released as by a coin operated timer.

6 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUM smz 3,667,160

SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES R. SALLOUM AT T ORZVEYS PATENTEBJUH SL972 3.667.160

' sum 2 OF 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES R. SALLOUM ff W ATTORNEYS FIG. 12

PARKING DEVICE This is a continuation-in-part of my copending US. patent applications Ser. No. 720,952 filed April 12, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,613,909 and Ser. No. 24,699 filed April 1, 1970 for Vehicle Parking Systems.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION A wide variety of different systems and structures have been developed for the purpose of automating parking or storage of automobiles. Because of the large number of automobiles in use efficient parking of same has become an acute problem, particularly in congested urban areas. It has, in fact, become necessary to charge the motorist for parking his vehicle, particularly in off-street parking and it is even common practice to exact a fee for curb parking.

For many types of self-parking operations there are employed parking meters which conventionally are actuated by a motorist at the time of parking by I the insertion of coins therein to provide a visual indication on the face of the meter that the parking has been paidfor. This general type of parking meter is also finding favor in many off-street facilities. In order to ensure that parking fees are indeed paid, it is necessary for these parking meters to be visually monitored either by city police, for example, or other personnel particularly retained for this purpose. This then increases the cost of parking and additionally provides only a spot check on the collection of parking fees or tolls.

Although parking meters are normally designed and operated upon the basis of surveillance with prepaid tolls as an indicator identifying either failure to pay or expiration of payment period, it is possible to utilize this type of device in an opposite manner. The present invention proceeds upon the basis of employing a parking meter or the like which may, for example, be of relatively conventional construction but which is adapted to receive a toll charge at the termination of a parking period. Particularly with regard to parking lots, garages, or even curb parking along a public thoroughfare, this approach to the utilization of timing meansfor collecting of parking tolls is highly advantageous. A parking meter, coin operated timing device, or the like is herein employed to count the time during which a vehicle is parked in a particular space or stall. At the time that such vehicle is desired to be moved, there must be deposited in the parking meter or the like the appropriate toll charge as indicated thereon and determined by the amount of time elapsed. The present invention provides for the location of vehicle locking means in each parking stall or space having a parking meter or the like associated therewith such that the meter is actuated thereby to time the period of parking and, upon receipt of the appropriate amount of parking toll at the termination thereof, to release the vehicle locking means.

It is realized that there have been developed systems of this general type in the past; however, such systems are generally quite complicated and thus are not only expensive to install but also are expensive to maintain. The present invention, on the other hand, is extremely simple and employs only simple operating means to lock a vehicle within a parking stall once it has entered same and to release the vehicle only upon deposition of the appropriate parking fee or toll.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION There is provided by the present invention simple mechanical means for accepting a vehicle into a parking stall and actuating timing mechanism from the time of vehicle entry therein. Such means of the present invention operate to lock the vehicle within the parking stall so that it cannot be removed by an unauthorized person nor by the normal vehicle operator without the deposition by such operator of a calculated parking toll in release mechanism such as a device that may be similar to a conventional parking meter.

There is furthermore provided by the present invention that the vehicle locking means shall be operable to prevent movement of a vehicle either in a forward direction, a reverse direction, or either forward or reverse direction from a parking stall once it has entered same and is not yet released therefrom in accordance with the invention. Rotary or pivotally mounted locking means provided hereby are adapted to be mounted on the floor of the parking stall to be turned from an inactive or release position to a lockedposition. Such means accept the entry of a vehicle but in locked position will not release the vehicle for movement from the stall until release mechanism is actuated. Such release mechanism may, in fact, be relatively conventional in comprising substantially a conventional parking meter normally utilized in the streets of most cities but operating in a reverse mode. The present invention is primarily directed to the vehicle locking release means adapted for installation in individual parking stalls of a lot, street, garage or the like. Such means comprise one or more rotatably mounted quadrant members over which a vehicle is adapted to be driven and which then locks in position with a portion thereof extending above the surface upon which the vehicle is parked. The vehicle is consequently locked in position.

Locking of the vehicle in the manner noted'above is also employed herein to actuate a timing mechanism such as a parking meter which may be provided with coin receiving means and an indicator. At such time as an operator wishes to remove his vehicle from the parking location, he then deposits in the meter the appropriate amount of coins as indicated thereon to consequently release the locking means so that the vehicle may then be driven from the parking stall or location. This movement of the vehicle then resets the mechanism so that it is ready to receive a subsequent vehicle driven thereover.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES The present invention is illustrated as to particular preferred embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and having portions of the support structure removed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of the device of FIG. 1 in successive positions of operation;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial plan view of the device of FIG. 1 and illustrating exemplary release mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of alternative locking mechanism for a parking device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the present invention with portions of the mounting structure removed;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 10 to 12 are schematic illustrations of the device of FIGS. 8 and 9 in successive positions of operation.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Considering first the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, it will be seen that there is provided a rotary quadrant device 21 having quadrant walls 22, 23, 24 and 25 extending outwardly from a central axle 26 in fixed relation thereto. These walls may be cut away to comprise only end tabs of sufficient width to ensure engagement with a vehicle driven thereover. The axle 26 is mounted in a suitable frame or the like 27 having an opening 28 therein within which there is fitted the quadrant member. It will be seen that the member 21 is thus adapted to rotate in the frame and the upper flat portion of this frame is disposed in planar alignment with suitable means 29 defining a parking stall. It will be appreciated that the stall may be located in a parking garage, for example, wherein the means 29 may form a floor of the garage or alternatively the parking stall may be located in a parking lot or on the street wherein the surface of the ground,

preferably paved, does in fact form the stall. The axle 26 is restrained as to rotation so that considerable force is required to turn it and thus only a vehicle engaging the quadrant will rotate same.

It is intended that an automobile or other vehicle entering the parking stall 29 shall drive over the parking device of the present invention to actuate same. As shown in FIG. 1, one of the walls 22 of the quadrant member 21 extends perpendicularly upward from the center of the opening 28 in the frame 27 with two orthogonal side walls or portions 23 and 25 extending across the remainder of the opening. There is also provided as a portion of the present invention means for locking of the quadrant member and these include first a pair of cogwheels 31 and 32. These cogwheels 31 and 32 are mounted upon the axle 26 in fixed relation thereto and disposed one at each end of the quadrant member. Associated with each of the cogwheels is a pawl 33 mounted in the frame 27 beneath the upper surface thereof and extending into engagement with the cogs on the associated cogwheel. The pawl 33 is pivotally mounted so as to be capable of swinging upwardly but is prevented from moving downwardly as by a pin 34 also mounted in theframe. Thus it will be appreciated that the quadrant member and associated cogwheels are capable of rotation in but a single direction, for the pawls 33 prevent reverse rotation of same. Preferably the pawls are spring loaded to thus normally engage the teeth or cogs of the cogwheels but to be readily pivoted upwardly by rotation of the cogwheels in a clockwise direction, as illustrated in the drawings.

There is I furthermore provided means for locking the quadrant member 21 in particular rotated positions. These releasable locking means are generally indicated at 36 in FIG. 6 and may take avariety of forms. However, it is particularly noted that only two diametrically opposite walls or portions 23 and 25 of the device are adapted to be locked in alignment with the top surface'of the frame 27. Referring further to FIG. 6 and the exemplary locking means illustrated therein, it will be seen that there is provided a projection 41 extending longitudinally outward from an end of the wall 23 and a similar projection 42 extends from the wall 25. These projections extend generally axially of the unit, as best seen in FIG. 6, and are adapted to be physically engaged by a retractable stop 43 disposed in the frame 27 and extending inwardly of the opening 28 therein.

Further with regard to control over rotation of the quadrant element 21 there may be provided a timing and fare collecting device 46 having the general form of a conventional parking meter, for example. This meter 46, as it is hereinafter termed, is mounted upon the frame 27 and isconnected to the locking device 36, again as generally indicated in FIG. 6. The meter is actuated or its operation initiated by engagement of a quadrant pin 41 with the locking bar or pin 43 which then starts a timing mechanism running in the meter. The meter is preferably provided with a visible face 47 that may have markings thereon identifying successive amounts of money to be charged for parking. A pointer or the like moves across the face 47 in accordance with the time elapsed following starting of the meter..The meter 46 also preferably incorporates a coin receiver 48 so that, upon depositing in such receiver the amount of money indicated upon the meter face 47, the meter will reset the hand on the face thereof and at the same time free the locking bar 43 from the quadrant pin 41 so that the quadrant is free to rotate. The manner of operation of the overall locking mechanism 36 is obviously open to a wide variety of variations and it may, for example, incorporate a solenoid and the meter itself may, for example, include a handle which must be turned after deposition of coins to retract the bar 43 so as to reset the meter pointer and to rewind the clock mechanism in the meter.

Considering now operation of the present invention, it is first noted that the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is adapted to receive an automobile or the like moving from left to right in FIG. 1 and to lock such vehicle on the frame 27 and contiguous parking stall 29 until released by operation of the meter 46. As shown in FIG. 4, a front wheel 51 of a vehicle moving to the right in the figure will engage an upright arm wall or the like 23 of the quadrant member 21 and will consequently rotate the quadrant member as the vehicle moves to the right in the figure. The quadrant member is free to rotate in this direction as the cooperating pawls and cogwheels only prevent rotation in the reverse direction. As the front wheel of the vehicle passes over the parking device, the locking pin 41 on the quadrant member 23 engages the locking bar 43 of the locking device 36 and consequently prevents further rotation of the device. This also actuates the parking meter 46. Any attempt to move the vehicle further to the right in FIG. 1 will result in the rear wheels of the vehicle engaging the locked quadrant member and in particular the upright wall or arm 22 thereof so as to prevent the vehicle from leaving the parking stall. Similarly, if an attempt is made to back the vehicle from the parking stall, the front wheels will engage the upright wall or arm 22 of the device which cannot rotate in a reverse direction because of interaction of the pawls and cogwheels and thus the vehicle is indeed trapped in the stall.

Following some period of parking an operator returning to his automobile deposits in the receptacle 48 of the meter 46 the amount of money indicated upon the meter face, which then frees or releases the locking bar 43 so that the quadrant member may then be rotated. The vehicle may then be driven forwardly and, as indicated in FIG. 5, the rear wheel 52 of the vehicle will engage the quadrant member 22 and pivot it to the right about the axis of axle 26 as the vehicle leaves the stall. This will then rotate the quadrant member into a position wherein the quadrant member 25 is disposed vertically upright. As noted above, the quadrant members 23 and 25 both include locking pins at the end thereof but the intermediate quadrant members 22 and 24 do not have such pins. Thus at any time the quadrant member is free to rotate, it can turn 180 without interference. A subsequent vehicle entering the parking stall will engage the upright quadrant member 25 by the front wheels of the vehicle to rotate the assemblage and thus place the quadrant member 25 in the position shown for the member 23 in FIG. 6. Provision is made for reactivating or returning the locking bar 43 into locked position so that the entire quadrant device is then locked in this position against further clockwise rotation until the foregoing operation of coin deposit and meter release is completed again. Resetting of the locking bar 43 may be accomplished in a variety of ways such as, for example, provision of a switch on a solenoid holding the bar in a retracted position with such switch then being operated by 90 shaft rotation. Note further that the meter 46 preferably includes a timer returning the bar 43 to lock position shortly after coin deposit to prevent unpaid parking.

Considering now a modified embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 7, it is noted that there is provided therein a rotary quadrant device 61 fixed to an axle 62 mounted transversely of an opening 63 and a frame 64. To this extent the device is substantially the same as the one described above; however, it is particularly noted that the previously described embodiment of the present invention includes one or more cogwheels and pawls or the like to prevent reverse rotation thereof. Consequently the embodiment of FIG. 1 is adapted to receive a vehicle moving forwardly and to allow the vehicle to leave the parking stall so moving forwardly. For many applications of the present invention parking stalls are adapted to have an automobile or other vehicle driven for wardly therein but to leave same by reverse movement. The device of FIG. 7 is particularly adapted for this application.

As shown in FIG. 7 an arm or element 66 of the quadrant device has an outer edge 67 thereof formed to engage a front surface 68 of the frame opening 63. The engaging surfaces 67 and 68 may, as illustrated, be inclined so that, upon rotation of the unit, the wall 66 will align with the upper surface of the frame. An opposite quadrant member wall 71 is dimensioned to fit into the frame opening when the unit is rotated in a clockwise direction as illustrated in FIG. 7. Another pair of orthogonal quadrant members 72 and 73 are provided as a portion of the rotary device and these have radial lengths from the axle such that they also will fit into the opening 63. However, the first mentioned quadrant member or wall 66 has an extended length such that, upon reverse rotation or counterclockwise rotation of the unit from the position illustrated, the outer end 67 of this quadrant wall 66 will come into contact with the frame 64 rather than fitting through the frame opening. Thus this device is adapted only to rotate 180, or slightly less. Locking means are also provided for this embodiment such as, for example, the type generally described above. There is also provided some type of metering device and preferably a coin receiving or card receiving member associated with such metering device so as to release the locking mechanism for removal of a vehicle from a parking stall having the parking device hereof installed therein. It will be seen that this particular embodiment of the present invention is somewhat of a simplification over the one previously described inasmuch as reverse rotation prevention is very simply accomplished herein.

There is illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 12 a further embodiment of the present invention which in many ways is similar to the embodiments previously described but which also incorporates front and rear wheel locking means. This embodiment of the present invention is shown to comprise a single parking stall 71 having a front rotary mounted quadrant member 72 and a rear rotary mounted quadrant member 73. It will, of course, be appreciated that the actual physical configuration of the individual quadrant portions may be varied such as is illustrated by the quadrant members 72 and 73 wherein the central portion thereof is removed. The device illustrated in FIG. 8 is adapted to receive a vehicle moving forwardly therein and to lock the vehicle until release of the device whereupon the vehicle-is backed or moved in a reverse direction from the parking stall. This is emphasized by illustration of an upright wall 74 at the front of the stall.

The front quadrant member 72 includes four orthogonally disposed walls or members, as illustrated, fixedly mounted upon a rotatable axle 76 and having locking means 77 engageable therewith and preferably operated by such as a meter 78 disposed in extension above the parking stall and in a convenient location for observation and utilization by a motorist. Beneath the upper frame member 79 of the device forming in part the stall 71, there is provided a linkage 81 extending between the quadrant members 72 and 73. This linkage 81 may include a link 82 fixed to the forward quadrant member for rotation with the axle thereof and pivotally connected to a bar 83 that is in turn pivotally connected to a rear link 84 secured to and rotatable with the axle of the rear quadrant member. There will thus be seen that forcible rotation of either quadrant member will rotate the other member in the same manner. It is to be further noted that, although the rear quadrant member may, in fact, have four orthogonally disposed walls, it is only necessary for same to have a single wall 86 fitting within an opening in the frame and having the axle 87 thereof extending through the center of same.

Considering now operation of this particular embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 12 and referring particularly to FIGS. to 12, it is noted that as a front wheel 91 of a vehicle enters the parking stall it passes over the wall 86 closing the opening in the parking stall and moves forward into engagement with an upright wall 92 of the front quadrant member 72. As the vehicle continues to move forward it pivots the forward quadrant member and consequently, through the linkage 81, pivots the rear member 73 to swing the wall 86 thereof to an upright position. The forward quadrant member 92 is rotated into a horizontal position and is formed with a sufiicient length so that it does not fit within the opening in the frame but instead rests upon same, as shown in FIG. 9. In this position the locking mechanism 77 becomes operative to prevent reverse rotation of the forward quadrant member 72 and also in this ition the front and back wheels of a vehicle are, in fact, Ioc ed within the parking stall so that the vehicle cannot be backed therefrom. As described above, the meter 78 operates at all times that the device is in the position illustrated in FIG. 12 but, upon insertion of the appropriate amount of coinage or possibly an appropriate card into the meter receptacle, the locking means 77 are released or retracted. The vehicle may then be backed from the stall by passing over the forward quadrant member to rotate back into the position illustrated in FIG. 10 and the wall 86 of the rear locking means is at that time rotated into a horizontal position to close the opening in the frame. The device is then reset for re-use by the next vehicle entering the parking stall.

It is also possible to form the quadrant or pivotally mounted locking members of the present invention with other than straight or flat walls. One alternative is shown in FIG. 11 wherein the quadrant walls are shown to be curved to thus minimize or eliminate any lift to the vehicle moving thereover.

What is claimed is:

1. A parking device comprising,

a quadrant member having four orthogonal walls extending outwardly from a central axle, means pivotally mounting said quadrant member to successively align walls thereof with the floor of a parking stall,

locking means operable with predetermined walls of said quadrant member for locking such walls in alignment with the floor of said stall, and

timing means connected to and controlling said locking means and including toll receiving means for releasing said locking means.

2. The device of claim 1 further defined by at least one cogwheel fixed to said shaft, and a pawl associated with each cogwheel and engaging teeth thereof to limit shaft rotation to one direction only.

3. The device of claim 2 further defined by said locking means including an. operating element upon only two oppositely disposed walls of said quadrant member.

4. The device of claim 1 further defined by a plate, means pivotally mounting said plate to align same with the floor of said parking stall, and linkage between said quadrant member and plate to pivot the plate with the quadrant member.

5. The device of claim 1 further defined by the means pivotally mounting said quadrant member comprising a frame having an opening therein and rotatably carrying said axle at sides of the opening.

6. A parking device comprising a quadrant member having four orthogonal walls extending outwardly from a central axle with a first of said walls extending further from said axle than the remainder of said walls,

means pivotally mounting said quadrant member in a member having an opening therein with the first of said walls extending more than half the width of said opening above same whereby said quadrant member is only pivotable substantially one-half revolution,

locking means operable with predetermined walls of said quadrant member for locking said walls in alignment with the floor of said stall, and

timing means connected to and controlling said locking means including toll receiving means for releasing said locking means. 

1. A parking device comprising, a quadrant member having four orthogonal walls extending outwardly from a central axle, means pivotally mounting said quadrant member to successively align walls thereof with the floor of a parking stall, locking means operable with predetermined walls of said quadrant member for locking such walls in alignment with the floor of said stall, and timing means connected to and controlling said locking means and including toll receiving means for releasing said locking means.
 2. The device of claim 1 further defined by at least one cogwheel fixed to said shaft, and a pawl associated with each cogwheel and engaging teeth thereof to limit shaft rotation to one direction only.
 3. The device of claim 2 further defined by said locking means including an operating element upon only two oppositely disposed walls of said quadrant member.
 4. The device of claim 1 further defined by a plate, means pivotally mounting said plate to align same with the floor of said parking stall, and linkage between said quadrant member and plate to pivot the plate with the quadrant member.
 5. The device of claim 1 further defined by the means pivotally mounting said quadrant member comprising a frame having an opening therein and rotatably carrying said axle at sides of the opening.
 6. A parking device comprising a quadrant member having four orthogonal walls extending outwardly from a central axle with a first of said walls extending further from said axle than the remainder of said walls, means pivotally mounting said quadrant member in a member having an opening therein with the first of said walls extending more than half the width of said opening above same whereby said quadrant member is only pivotable substantially one-half revolution, locking means operable with predetermined walls of said quadrant member for locking said walls in alignment with the floor of said stall, and timing means connected to and controlling said locking means including toll receiving means for releasing said locking means. 